If you know anything about us, it’s that we love to eat. And boy did we eat a lot in 2018!
Today Heather and I are going to go through our top 10 meals of the year (each) for a total of 20 awesome places around the world that you should definitely check out if you’re going to be in the neighborhood!
From Budapest and Vancouver to Philadelphia and Austin, we truly span the globe with today’s episode!
What were your favorite meals of 2018? If you get to hit up any of the places we list then please let us know @ExtraPackofPeanuts!
Do you have travel questions for Trav about travel or travel hacking? Tweet us @packofpeanuts or Instagram with #askepop to @extrapackofpeanuts, or even on Facebook! Anywhere you can find us!
In This Episode
07:06 Honorable Mentions
11:26 The List Begins
15:25 Brunch Is A Weird Thing For Trav
16:55 The Obscure One & The #1 Sandwich
19:43 Tacos…Of Course!
21:57 Love For Philly
23:36 Best Burger In Trav’s Life
25:32 More Philly Love
29:00 Florida Representing
31:00 Don’t Be A Jerk..Or Maybe It’s A Good Thing
33:00 Making It On Both Lists
36:35 All By Myself With A Latin Flair
38:33 Brunch + Budapest
42:40 Hungry For Hungary
45:26 Best Restaurant In Philly
49:47 #LoveNapkins
53:43 The Top Meals
Important Links
Want to follow Whit’s adventures? Check out his Instagram at @TravelingWhitMyles
When it comes to traveling the world, there aren’t many places we WOULDN’T want to go to. But if we were to put down roots for three months, we’re a bit pickier.
Being location independent has its perks! In this episode, Heather and I discuss the top 16 cities and regions in the world where we’d love to spend three months, and what we love most about each one.
Whether it’s a great place for digital nomads with good internet and a thriving entrepreneurial community, a great beach destination, a hiker’s dream, or just a chill place with a chill vibe, we’re dreaming about where we might move next!
How about you? If you could be dropped anywhere in the world for 3 months, where would you want to live? Tweet us @ExtraPackofPeanuts!
Today’s episode has been sponsored by our friends at Tortuga Backpacks!
6:30 – Where would you want to be dropped off for 3 months?
7:00 – The Rules
8:20 – Honorable mentions
12:25 – Heather’s #8 (could’ve been her #1, but…)
13:50 – Trav’s #8 (is it too small?)
14:55 – Heather’s #7 – A fun place with a growing digital nomad scene
16:40 – Trav’s #7 – Good weather, good beer, good beaches, but expensive accommodations
18:10 – Heather’s #6 – Near a place that she has a little trouble pronouncing
18:55 – Trav’s #6 – A city where he’s spent more time than almost anywhere else, he loves it that much!
20:30 – Heather’s #5 – The food, the vibe, the countryside, the wine…
22:20 – Trav’s #5 – Awesome in both summer and winter
25:05 – Heather’s #4 – Her favorite country in the world!
26:40 – Trav’s #4 – It was a close decision between 2, 3, and 4!
29:30 – Heather’s #3 – Friends, mountains, a nearby island, good hiking
30:50 – Trav’s #3 – Awesome beaches, world-class city with world-class events, fun, clean…but not super exotic or cheap…and Heather wishes she’d thought of this one
33:30 – Heather’s #2 – A place she and Trav both loved
36:15 – Trav’s #2 – Great internet, easy to get around, super cheap, almost like a second home!
38:30 – Heather’s #1 – A digital nomad’s dream. Healthy, feel-good… Jungle and beach all in one day
44:20 – Trav’s #1 – Bikeable, hip, cheap, great food, amazing history, and fantastic summer weather
In this episode, Heather and I go through our list of top summer destinations around the globe. From surprising to serene, vibrant to verdant, and interesting to impactful, there’s a great destination for everyone.
It’s time to imagine some sun and water and plan that summer trip!
What are your favorite summer destinations? Or what are some places you want to go in the summer? Tweet us @ExtraPackofPeanuts!
Today’s episode has been sponsored by our friends at Tortuga Backpacks!
After spending over 3 weeks in Vancouver, Heather and Trav are well versed in the best things to do in this beautiful city. Discover how many breweries Trav went to in 21 days (hint: it’s a lot!), Heather’s favorite pizza and coffee spots, and the activity that they both say you “can’t miss” when visiting Van.
Go Fish – The best fish and chips in the world, according to one expert (Heather). Go, and you’ll see why.
The Fish Counter – A close second, the Fish Counter on Main Street is also an amazing choice with lots of different seafood options.
Carp – Awesome poke and sushi place tucked into a small shop in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood.
Pacific Poke – A decent poke shop located right downtown
Railtown Cafe – Big, delicious sandwiches on Main Street.
Via Tevere – Some of Heather’s favorite pizza ever.
Sal y Limon – A quick, fast, fairly cheap, and casual taco spot with lots of good choices.
Tacofino – The Vancouver outpost of this crazy popular taco truck originally started in Tofino.
The Flying Pig – And upscale dining option in Gastown for Italian fare.
Fable Diner – Incredible brunches make the inevitable hour-long wait on weekends worth it.
Cartem’s Donuts – Conveniently located on Main Street, this donut place has an ever-rotating selection of eclectic flavor choices, including Heather’s favorite, earl grey.
Ice Cream:
Rain or Shine – My favorite ice cream in Vancouver. Big portions, nice people, and fantastic flavors. What more could an ice cream lover want?
Rooster Ice Cream – A small, new place that not only has good ice cream but makes a mean ice cream cookie sandwich!
Earnest – With 4 locations in Vancouver, Earnest gets recognized by many as Vancouver’s best ice cream. While I personally think Rain or Shine narrowly edges it out, you can’t go wrong by trying it out for yourself!
La Casa Gelato – Quantity over quality, this gelato shop has the most flavors of anywhere in the world – 238 at any given time! The spectacle itself is worth going for, even if the gelato is just average.
Bella Gelateria – You know a gelato place is good when it’s won an international award from real, Italian judges in Florence!
33 Acres – The best brewery in Vancouver, this place ticks all the boxes – great beer, friendly staff, and a beautiful interior. Go early, because it gets packed (for good reason).
Brassneck – After hitting 33 Acres and then Cartem’s Donuts, wander over to his fantastic brewery. Our second favorite brewery in the Main Street area, it shouldn’t be missed.
Faculty – A small brewery with only 4-5 beers on tap, it’s worth the visit, especially if you’re biking by on the Ontario Street bike path.
R&B Brewing – The atmosphere here is like being in your friend’s basement (in a good way) and the pizza is pretty decent too. Unfortunately, the beer left a bit to be desired.
Main Street Brewing – Nothing fancy or exciting here, but hey, it’s another brewery to stop at if you’re trying to hit them all!
“Yeast Van” Area
Strangefellows – Unique beer selection, good bar snacks, and a cool vibe make this one of Vancouver’s top breweries.
Luppolo – A relative newcomer, their hazy IPA was my favorite of the entire trip.
Callister – With 3 rotating guest breweries plus Callister itself all brewing under the same roof, coming here means you can try 4 completely different breweries all at once, which is a great concept.
Storm – Vancouver’s oldest, and certainly most unique, craft brewery, Storm is a must-visit for the “ambiance” alone. Enter the no-frill “tasting room” through the loading door and be treated to some of the most eclectic beers you’ll ever find.
Other Breweries
Steamworks – This huge brewery and sports bar is found right on the water in Gastown. With good food and good beer, this is whatever large brewpub should strive for.
Coast Mountain – Found up north in Whistler, this tiny tasting room is exactly what you’d expect in a ski town – crowded, lively, and fun with fantastic beer to boot! A personal favorite.
Superflux Beer Company – A gypsy brewery with no tasting room, if you can find their cans at the craft bottle shops in Vancouver, buy them. This brewery is setting the standard for hazy IPA’s in Vancouver…and beyond.
Coffee:
Matchstick – Heather’s favorite coffee in Vancouver, this quaint coffee shop tucked away in Mount Pleasant is a must for coffee aficionados.
49th Parallel – This big, comfy cafe with good coffee is a great place to come, hang out, and relax (especially if you snag one of their overstuffed leather chairs)!
Revolver – Want good coffee in Gastown? This is your spot!
Prado – If you find yourself in the Commercial Drive area, this is the place to head for great coffee!
Accommodations:
One of the best parts of Vancouver is the neighborhoods, which is why we recommend finding a fun AirBnB in any of the following neighborhoods if you’re staying for more than 2 days (click here to create an AirBnB account and get $40 credit)
Mount Pleasant
Kitsilano
West End
HI Hostel Central – A decent choice if you’re really on a budget. But if you can afford it, we recommend you head elsewhere.
English Bay Beach – Located in Stanley Park, this is one of the more lively beaches in Vancouver and a great place to spend the afternoon.
Granville Island – Fantastic views of the city and great indoor markets.
Drive to Whistler – Rent a car, get out of Vancouver, and take the beautiful drive up through Squamish to Whistler.
Dude Chilling Park – Is it the best park in the world? No way. But does it have the best name? You bet.
Wreck Beach – Head here if you’ve got a hankering for a bit of adventure. 300+ stairs down to the beach keep it pretty isolated, which is a good thing because once you get down, you’ll realize it’s clothing-optional (but discouraged).
Jericho Beach – One of Vancouver’s best beaches, especially for sunsets.
Sea to Sky Gondola – At $40 CAD, it’s a bit pricey, but if you’re driving to Whistler, it’s worth it if you like gondolas, suspension bridges, and want to hike around for a few hours.
Capilano Suspension Bridge – Like Sea to Sky, at $42 CAD it’s a bit pricier than it should be, but it’s also every little kid’s dream. Walk along a huge suspension bridge and then a bunch of smaller ones that take you through the treetops.
Shopping on Main Street – Lots of neat shops to poke your head in between eating and drinking along this great stretch of the city.
Listen to hear our best Beer experiences of 2017, Trav has quite a few! Including one where you’re just not going to believe his luck, how do things like this just happen to him all the time?!
What were your best beer experiences in 2017? Where do we absolutely need to go? Let us know @ExtraPackofPeanuts!